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US 2011/0217609 A1Published application
Fuel cell stack operation
AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC
InventorsKiran Mallavarapu, Patrick Frost, Daniel I. Harris
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Abstract
A method including shutting down an electrochemical fuel cell stack wherein anode pressure is controlled according to a stack discharge fuel consumption estimate.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- shutting down an electrochemical fuel cell stack comprising:
- disconnecting the stack from a load;
- reducing flow of oxidant to a cathode portion of the stack;
- discharging the stack through discharge circuitry;
- continuing flow of fuel to an anode portion of the stack for consumption of residual oxidant;
- controlling anode pressure according to a stack discharge fuel consumption estimate;
- and
- generating a feedforward control signal using the discharge fuel consumption estimate, to reduce anode pressure control error during stack shutdown.
5 more elements
A method comprising:
- shutting down an electrochemical fuel cell stack comprising:
- disconnecting the stack from a load;
- reducing flow of oxidant to a cathode portion of the stack;
- discharging the stack through discharge circuitry;
- continuing flow of fuel to an anode portion of the stack for consumption of residual oxidant;
- controlling anode pressure according to an estimate of a rate of fuel consumption during stack discharge;
- and
- generating a feedforward control signal using the estimate, to reduce anode pressure control error during stack shutdown.
5 more elements
A method comprising:
- shutting down an electrochemical fuel cell stack comprising:
- disconnecting the stack from a load;
- reducing flow of oxidant to a cathode portion of the stack;
- discharging the stack through discharge circuitry;
- continuing flow of fuel to an anode portion of the stack for consumption of residual oxidant;
- controlling anode pressure according to an estimate of an amount of fuel consumption during stack discharge;
- and
- generating a feedforward control signal using the estimate, to reduce anode pressure control error during stack shutdown.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.